


Independence Day

by Domino



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-07-07
Updated: 2005-07-07
Packaged: 2017-11-06 14:35:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/419990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Domino/pseuds/Domino
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Little Daniel Jackson is fostered by a family living in the country, who may adopt.  Things don’t ever go as planned for Daniel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Independence Day

**Author's Note:**

> Rated: R, for domestic violence.
> 
> I thought of this fic while listening to “Independence Day” by Martina McBride. I couldn’t help but put Little Danny in the place of the eight year old in the song. I also realize this photo shows a much younger child, but I thought this child really gives off what Daniel would have been like as a child.
> 
> This fic is also due to the encouragement from RPonda. Without you this fic might not have been written. Thanks eternally for all your assistance. It got me writing again. I’m forever grateful. I never had any children of my own, choosing instead to adopt a teenager. I missed out on Kris’s young years and I will always feel something missing.
> 
> I also don’t know much about the rural part of New York. I figured it would be similar to rural New Jersey. Forgive any discrepancies of this type. 
> 
> Disclaimer: If I owned any of them, I wouldn’t have to work this hard.  
> Flamers: This is a warning. I don’t have a bark. I bite. I’ve been flamed before.

Daniel slowly scanned everything in his room, making sure all was in place before going downstairs to do his ‘chores’. This was the third family he’d been placed with, the Riggs couple, and he’d been told adoption was a consideration. The state department of social services had placed him with a couple who lived in rural New York. Compared to the other families he’d been with, this one wasn’t bad. It wasn’t a fantasy come true, but it wasn’t the nightmare he’d lived with before. Mr. Riggs treated him alright, but it was how he treated Mrs. Riggs, ‘Becca, that scared him.

In the first week he’d been with the Riggs, he had performed all the ‘chores’ Mr. Riggs asked of him, feeding the chickens, kept his room tidy, and –of course- did well in school, which were the three major things he’d asked from Daniel. Mr. Riggs told everyone in town he was impressed with Daniel’s manners and respectful nature. Daniel knew Mr. Riggs was unaware Daniel was trying so very hard to be what the Riggs’ wanted. Daniel thought back to when he’d first realized things in the Riggs household weren’t perfect, or even completely calm.

It was on that first Friday evening that things became scary for Daniel. Mr. Riggs had come home from doing errands in town smelling of alcohol. Daniel had finished everything he was required to do before bedtime and had been reading in his room when he heard the argument start. He’d started to go downstairs to see what the commotion was about and was watching from between the rails of the stairs. He saw Mr. Riggs yelling at ‘Becca and looked as if he was sick as he could barely keep standing, swaying and almost falling down.

Daniel couldn’t understand what they were yelling about, but he understood that for once it wasn’t about him. Mr. Riggs slapped ‘Becca hard and she fell to the floor, where she held her hand to her cheek and stared at Mr. Riggs in shock. He then turned and spotted Daniel spying through the railing. He yelled for Daniel to come down, but he’d been scared of the violence being turned on him, so he hadn’t moved. Mr. Riggs had then yelled at him again, but he also told him he wouldn’t hit Daniel unless he refused again to do what he’d been told. 

Daniel had slowly edged down to stand in front of Mr. Riggs. He was very frightened. Mr. Riggs then yelled at ‘Becca ‘that at least someone in the house knew to do what they’d been told’ before giving Daniel a hug that scared him more than anything else. Daniel could smell the alcohol strong on Mr. Riggs breath and he had turned frightened blue eyes to ‘Becca, who had stared back helplessly. Mr. Riggs had then told him to go back to his room like a ‘good boy would’ and gave him extra incentive by way of a gentle pat on his bottom to get him moving in the right direction.

Daniel had practically run to his room as fast as his eight year old legs could carry him, hearing Mr. Riggs drunken praises following him the entire way. He’d hidden in his room that night as they’d fought. Daniel had believed he could hear someone being hit, but could not be sure from inside his closed room. There’d been no supper that night and Daniel had fallen asleep hungry, too frightened to go downstairs to find a bite to eat. He had gone to breakfast the next morning and ‘Becca had been wearing make-up, but Daniel could see it didn’t hide the bruises on her cheek, by her mouth, and her chin. 

Daniel went downstairs and out the back door to begin feeding the chickens before breakfast would be ready. He liked feeding the chickens as they were always happy to see him and would sometimes peck at his feet in their hurry to get at the corn. Daniel would smile as the chickens came running as soon as his feet hit the last step of the porch. Once he was done, he would return to the kitchen with a grumbling stomach and eat whatever ‘Becca had made for his breakfast before leaving for summer school. His social worker thought it wise to keep him in school during the summer to keep him busy and occupied. 

Except today there was no summer school. Today was the Fourth of July and Daniel and the Riggs were going to the Fair in town to sell one of their steers and to watch the fireworks. He was very excited as he’d never seen what happens during this He put away the feed corn carefully as Mr. Riggs had shown him and ran back to the house.

Once he opened the screen door that led to the kitchen and his breakfast, Daniel knew something was wrong. The air was tense and ‘Becca didn’t turn around from the counter like she always did when he opened the door. Mr. Riggs sat at the table, having been awake long before Daniel and feeding the small herd of cattle. He quietly said good morning and received a nod from Mr. Riggs and he barely heard a murmur from ‘Becca.

Daniel liked ‘Becca. Her hair was soft and brown, made him melancholy as it reminded him of his mother’s hair. Her eyes were brown when his mother’s was blue, but they were kind eyes. She always had smiles and hugs for him, besides making some of the best cookies Daniel thought he’d ever tasted. She never treated him as though he were a pest or just in their house for the money. She was always waiting for him when he came in from school and gave him the biggest hugs. The first time she’d hugged him, he’d embarrassed himself by bursting into tears. He’d then realized no one had hugged him since his parents had died. Thankfully, ‘Becca hadn’t questioned him about it, just hugged him longer before she gently wiped his tears away.

“Good morning,” he said quietly. Mr. Riggs nodded at him without saying a word and still ‘Becca hadn’t turned around. Daniel sat quietly at the table and the odor of alcohol slowly drifted to where he was sitting. Daniel now knew why ‘Becca was so quiet and the room tense. It had happened in one of the first foster homes he’d been placed in. The foster father had taken to beating Daniel when the foster mother wasn’t available or unconscious. Social services had finally taken him from the house when he’d ended up in the hospital with a broken rib and numerous cuts and bruises.

“Good morning, Danny,” ‘Becca turned towards him from the sink with a bowl of cereal in her hands and placed it in front of him. She hugged him quickly before she pushed his hair off of his forehead and then kissed his hair. Daniel watched as she turned back to the dishes she had been washing, but he saw the bruise on her cheek and knew that was what had awakened him this morning.

Daniel forced himself to eat his cereal as he felt the stare of Mr. Riggs on him and Daniel knew that to refuse to eat now would be considered wasteful. The cereal was one of his favorites, but now tasted like cardboard in his mouth. He felt a large hand caress his hair and he looked up into the bloodshot eyes of Mr. Riggs, “You feed the chickens this morning, boy?”

Daniel nodded and continued eating his cereal. He heard a murmured, ‘Good boy’, before the room was quiet once more. 

“Danny’s excited about going to the fair. Aren’t you Danny?” ‘Becca washed dishes as she spoke. She turned and tipped his face up, smiling into his blue eyes. “He’s never been to a fair before.”

“Well, then it’s too bad we won’t be able to stay long,” Mr. Riggs said, snapping the newspaper closed. “We have too many chores that need to be finished, so’s all we have time to do at the fair is sell the heifer.” 

Daniel hid his disappointment and got up to place his bowl in the sink. He felt a hand on his head and heard ‘Becca say, “Why doesn’t Danny go on ahead and meet us there?”

Daniel heard a low growl from Mr. Riggs and the sound of a chair scraping back was loud in the small kitchen. Frightened, Daniel grabbed the nearest thing and began to sweep with the broom in an effort to appear to be busy. He edged into a corner and pretended to sweep while he was just trying to hide. Daniel couldn’t seem to watch what he believed was going to happen and looked at the floor as he heard ‘Becca whimper. Daniel heard a ‘smack’ before he saw in his peripheral view as ‘Becca hit the ground. 

Daniel shut his eyes and prayed to the Egyptian gods Mr. Riggs would stop. He made himself as small as he could and hushed his cries as he heard ‘Becca crying out for Mr. Riggs to stop hitting her. Daniel’s heart almost stopped when he heard ‘Becca remind her husband Daniel was in the room and it got suddenly…quiet.

Daniel pushed himself further into the corner in the stifling silence, his eyes squeezed shut in absolute remembered fear of a beating Daniel had suffered in the recent past. Booted footsteps alerted Daniel to the proximity of his foster father and his heart almost ceased when his arm was grabbed, his body yanked out of his hideaway. Daniel couldn’t seem to help it, but his gaze snapped up to stare frightened into the hard blue eyes of his temporary father.

“Boy, you just go on ahead to the fair now. Ya hear?” Mr. Riggs said softly as he pushed Daniel in the direction of the door. He was pushed as far as the door and he stopped once there. He turned around as he reached the screen door and looked back at ‘Becca. She was softly crying and there was blood sitting at the corner of her mouth, “Go on Danny. We’ll catch up with you later.”

Daniel raced out the door as fast as he could, running with the intention of going to a neighbor’s house to call for help. He knew this would probably get him taken from the Riggs, but ‘Becca was worth all the trouble he would bring on to himself. Daniel knew the closest neighbor was at least one mile away and he had to run there before ‘Becca ran out of time.

********************************************

His chest tightened with every step, slowing his pace with every breath dragged into lungs that fought every puff of air. Daniel looked at his fingers, tingling with tips turning blue. The heat and humidity made his jeans heavy with sweat and now weighed almost more than he could handle; his t-shirt was wet and stuck to his skin. Every memory of ‘Becca looking at him with brimming eyes and blood at one edge of her mouth had him forcing his feet to keep moving. 

The neighbor’s two-story house was close now, but he had trouble seeing it for the spots dancing through his view. He knew what was happening. His asthma was going to be the death of his foster mother. Now, more water was interfering with his view as his frustration with his faults would end in disaster. Like before. Daniel knew it was somehow his own fault his parents had died and left him. He believed he had either distracted them or didn’t try hard enough to come to him, to leave the dangerous position under the cover stone.

His knees hit the gravel in shock and he stuck out an arm to stop his face first crash to the ground. The rushing sound in his ears disguised the sound of a car stopping suddenly beside him. Strong arms lowered him gently to the ground and he couldn’t see who was holding him as it had gotten very dark. In the back of his mind, Daniel wondered why it was dark at mid-morning.

“Boy? Can you hear me?” he heard a man’s voice say to him, but his effort to drag breaths in took his entire focus. He felt the strong arms lift him and he knew on some level he was placed in the car. The sounds that greeted his ears once inside were foreign to him and his brain cataloged them for later reflection. Movement only lasted a short amount of time and he was once again lifted out of the vehicle. Concentrating on getting a breath, Daniel wasn’t aware until his back met with softness.

“Lou? That’s the boy the Riggs’ are tryin’ to adopt! He’s got sun stroke or somethin’?”

“Yeah, it is Honey.”

“Mama?! There’s smoke comin’ from the Riggs’ place!”

“He looks so small; almost looks like an angel.”

“Can you take care of him ‘till I get back? I gotta go find out what’s goin’ on at the Riggs’ place.”

Still wheezing, Daniel tried to open his eyes again and found daylight had returned with a vengeance. He squeezed them shut again and grimaced at the lightening pain shooting through his mind starting in his eyes. He began opening them again, only more slowly. He realized he’d left his glasses somewhere as he saw the neighbors, their blurred shapes moving around him.

Someone raised his upper body enough for him to sip cool water that was brought to his lips. He drank all he could and then he was gently lowered again to lie on his back. He tried to ask about ‘Becca, but he croaked instead. He was hushed as a cool cloth was placed on his hot forehead. 

Daniel wanted to stop the hands undressing him, but he couldn’t seem to raise his arms, let alone open his eyes. He could hear movement around him and excited chatter going on outside, but he couldn’t discern what was being said. A sheet was laid across him and it seemed to help. He was a lot cooler and his breathing was beginning to even out, even without his inhaler.

He jumped when he heard another loud bang and then there were loud voices all around him. A presence got close and then a man’s voice whispered, “Danny? Can you hear me? I really need to speak with you.”

He thought he recognized the voice and he tried to open his eyes. At first, he could see a small sliver of light and the man’s voice encouraged him to try harder. He paused for a second, gathered his strength, and then tried with everything he had. He first saw a blur and his sight gradually took focus, but in the end Daniel realized everything was blurry as his glasses were gone.

He started to panic as social services were going to be angry he’d lost another pair. Daniel knew he was going to be taken away from the Riggs’ as he’d made a mess out of reporting what Mr. Riggs was doing to ‘Becca. He gasped as he remembered fully what he was trying to do. He turned to the voice as believed he saw the blurred image of Deputy Rogers next to him. He knew and liked the deputy, as he’d talked to Daniel before while he was visiting Daniel’s school on Safety Day. 

Daniel looked around quickly and saw that he had somehow made it to the neighbor’s residence. Daniel took as deep a breath as he could, without triggering his asthma, and started to tell Deputy Rogers what he needed to do. The deputy raised his hand to silence him and the neighbor lady handed Daniel his glasses. Once he put them on, Daniel knew from the look on Deputy Roger’s face that something was very wrong.

“Is ‘Becca okay?” he asked in a whisper. From the expressions on the neighbor family’s faces, Daniel didn’t want to hear the answer. He felt tears start to fall and started breathing deeply to stop them. He didn’t want to cry in front of strangers.

“No, son. I’m afraid she’s not,” the deputy said softly. Daniel didn’t protest when he was gathered up in the deputy’s arms with the sheet wrapped around him. He laid his head against Deputy Roger’s chest as he was carried out to his patrol car and sat inside. He had numbness throughout his body and everything had a surreal feel to it.

A tear escaped and rolled slowly and unchecked down one pale cheek. He could see a lot of smoke from where his house would be. He started crying unchecked as he realized what small belongings he did have, what remembrances he had of his parents, were in that fire. ‘Becca was in that fire. With that thought, his sobs were loud in the car. The first person since his parents who lavished him with affection was gone. His first chance at a family, maybe the only one he’d ever get, was gone.

He didn’t stop crying as the car door was opened and he was gathered up in a pair of strong arms. The arms cooed and shushed him as they gently rocked him in his misery. He felt a hand caress his head as his back was rubbed and patted by many hands. He stayed in those arms as he felt black exhaustion rise up and cover him.

************************************************************

Daniel sat in his social worker office. He was holding a shoe box of what was left of his singed belongings. The firemen had put out the fire pretty quickly and had been able to give them to Daniel before his social worker came to get him. He’d accepted the small box with solemn thanks. He had one singed photo of ‘Becca in there as well. His social worker had wanted to take that from him, but he’d convinced her to allow him to keep it. She’d told him she’d thought he was traumatized enough at the Riggs’ home.

The firemen had saved his small stuff camel he’d had since he was a baby and his social worker had done her best to clean the soot off of it. There were his picture of he and his parents in Egypt and his small artifacts he’d saved from one of his parents digs, ones that the other Archeologists said weren’t worth anything. They were worth something to him. 

The deputy had held him until his social worker had arrived. It was Deputy Rogers who had held him the entire time with the Himmelburg family trying to comfort him. He’d been transferred to the arms of his social worker, Miss Walker, and then the long drive into town. He didn’t remember much until he was sitting in front of the window of Miss Walker’s apartment and one of the firemen had come with what was left of his belongings. 

He gone through what was in the shoe box and found his picture of his parents. His sudden burst into tears at his enormous relief at re-finding his lost treasure had his social worker running into the room to hold him. Once he had calmed, he assured Miss Walker he was alright and continued to go very slowly through the box. He found his toy camel, one of his books, his journal, and a picture of he and ‘Becca.

Miss Walker continued to gaze at him worriedly, but he quietly assured her he was fine and she seemed to accept that. He held his camel close to his chest, saddened he couldn’t smell the dry sands of Egypt on his small stuffed toy and the comfort it used to give him. He also held the small photo of ‘Becca close to his chest. Daniel swore he’d never forget the woman with soft brown hair who’d hugged him every time she saw him. He never wanted to forget that he had been loved and wanted. 

The End


End file.
